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The Heresy Trial of Albert Geyser HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies ISSN: (Online) 2072-8050, (Print) 0259-9422 Page 1 of 10 Original Research Heretic or rebel? The heresy trial of Albert Geyser Author: During September 1961, a charge of heresy was laid against New Testament scholar and anti- 1 Wim Dreyer apartheid activist Prof. A.S. (Albert) Geyser. The charge was brought by three senior theological Affiliation: students of the University of Pretoria. They accused Geyser of interpreting Philippians 2 in 1Department Church History such a way that it undermined the church’s doctrine of Christ’s pre-existence. The heresy trial and Church Polity, University started on 24 October 1961 under massive public interest. The trial lasted 6 months and the of Pretoria, South Africa proceedings covered 2672 typed pages. Reporters of 25 national and international newspapers attended the trial. The heresy trial caused widespread international condemnation of what Project leader: W.A. Dreyer Project number: 77370920 was regarded as an orchestrated attempt to get rid of Geyser, because of his public and radical opposition to apartheid. In this contribution, Geyser’s theological critique of apartheid as well Description: as his conviction of heresy is discussed. The proceedings of the trial, minutes of the moderature, This research is part of the media coverage and Geyser’s publications serve as primary sources. It concludes with a critical project, ‘History of the Netherdutch Reformed evaluation of Geyser’s theology and his role as a public theologian. Church/Geskiedenis van die Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk’, directed by Dr Wim Dreyer, Department of Introduction Church History and Church On 1 May 2015, Prince Mashele wrote an article in the Sowetan (Sowetan Live 2015) on the Polity, Faculty of Theology, defacing of statues in South Africa, in which he said the following of Prof. A.S. (Albert) Geyser: University of Pretoria. Here was a white man, an Afrikaner by blood, adhering obstinately to a biblical truth that essentially Corresponding author: shattered the religious foundations of Afrikanerdom – his very own being. It would indeed be difficult to Wim Dreyer, know the extent to which black anti-statue crusaders of our time value truth. But it is easy to understand [email protected] why white people have built no monument to Geyser. Could it be that those who are busy defacing statues are themselves not different from the very statues they seek to eradicate? True virtue is not when Dates: Received: 14 July 2016 a man defends his own interests, but when he endangers his life in defence of others. This is precisely Accepted: 11 Aug. 2016 what Geyser did. It is time for us, black people, to wage a ‘Geyser must rise’ campaign to protect the Published: 25 Nov. 2016 legacy of a white man who proclaimed that blacks were human at a time when such a basic truth was heresy. (n.p.) How to cite this article: Dreyer, W., 2016, ‘Heretic or rebel? The heresy trial of Heresy trials have become something of a rarity in modern times. This fact alone would have Albert Geyser’, HTS made the trial of Prof. Albert Geyser, which lasted 6 months (1961–1962), remarkable. However, Teologiese Studies/ the events surrounding the trial present us with a rare insight in the complex and volatile history Theological Studies 72(4), of South Africa just after it left the British Commonwealth and became a sovereign republic under a3745. http://dx.doi. org/10.4102/hts.v72i4.3745 the leadership of Dr H.F. Verwoerd as prime minister. Copyright: It is also remarkable if we consider who Geyser was (see Dreyer 2015:187–189). Albertus Stephanus © 2016. The Authors. Geyser was born on 10 February 1918 on a farm close to Naboomspruit (Mookgophong), the Licensee: AOSIS. This work is licensed under the heartland of Afrikaner conservative politics and a typical farming community. His father and Creative Commons mother were devout members of the Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk van Afrika (NHKA). He was Attribution License. one of three children. After he matriculated in 1935, Geyser and his brother started their theological studies at the University of Pretoria during 1936. He eventually completed a MA (Classical Languages) in 1942 and had a sound knowledge of Hebrew, Syriac, Aramaic, Greek, Latin, French, German, Dutch and English. Including Afrikaans, he could read 10 languages. In 1941 Geyser was ordained as a minister in the NHKA Heilbron, a small town in the Free State. In 1944 he was called to a congregation in Pretoria where he served until 1946. At various periods he took leave to assist the congregation in Cape Town. Geyser started with doctoral studies in Church History. He changed to New Testament during 1944 and within a year Geyser finished the doctoral exams and on 15 March 1946 he received the degree Doctor Divinitatis (Cum Laude). His external examiner was Prof. J. De Zwaan of the Read online: University of Leiden. At the beginning of 1946, at the young age of 27, Geyser was appointed as a Scan this QR lecturer in the Department of New Testament Studies at the University of Pretoria. Later that code with your smart phone or same year, he was promoted to a full-time professor and Head of the Department. He remained mobile device in this position until 1961, a period of 15 years. After the heresy trial he accepted a position at the to read online. University of the Witwatersrand. Albert Geyser was also the first SA New Testament scholar http://www.hts.org.za Open Access Page 2 of 10 Original Research elected as the member of the Studiorum Novi Testamenti Moderature of the NHKA released a media statement, Societas and served as the editor of Novum Testamentum. He rejecting the views of Geyser and Engelbrecht in the strongest must also be remembered for the high standards that he set terms (see Oberholzer 2010).1 This was followed with several for his own academic career. He obtained three master’s disciplinary meetings, which continued until the end of 1955. degrees in Greek, Latin as well as French. He translated Eventually it was agreed from both sides not to proceed with Thomas á Kempis’s classical work De Imitatio Christi into disciplinary or legal actions, after Geyser and Engelbrecht Afrikaans (Geyser 1952). gave the assurance that it was not their intention to bring the church into disrepute or become involved in party political In this contribution Geyser’s theological critique of apartheid actions, but rather exercised their responsibility to public as well as his conviction of heresy is discussed. The witness. Engelbrecht, however, continued to sue Die proceedings of the trial, minutes of the Moderature, media Transvaler for libel to an amount of £2000. coverage and Geyser’s publications serve as primary sources. This paper concludes with a critical evaluation of Geyser’s Geyser’s opposition to apartheid became more intense theology and his role as public theologian. during 1960. There were several reasons for this: Firstly, the Sharpeville massacre (21 March 1960) sent shock waves through South Africa and the rest of the world. Secondly, the Geyser’s critique of apartheid World Council of Churches (WCC) planned a meeting during Prof. P.G.R. de Villiers (Van Aarde, De Villiers & Buitendag December 1960 in Cottesloe (Johannesburg), where all the 2014:3) is of the opinion that Geyser’s theological criticism member churches would present their views on the situation and rejection of apartheid had a seminal influence on white in South Africa and to formulate a common witness against South Africans who were opposed to apartheid. It also caused racism. Thirdly, South Africa’s departure from the British a lot of animosity among fellow lecturers at the University of Commonwealth under the leadership of Dr. H.F. Verwoerd Pretoria as well as the general public. Geyser’s opposition to was on the cards and became a reality on 31 May 1961. As apartheid, at a time when it was regarded by many as a such, 1960 became a pivotal year for Geyser’s resistance scriptural principle and the only guarantee for the survival of against apartheid. white people in Africa, resulted in his complete isolation (Van Aarde et al. 2014:4–5) and a feeling among some church Geyser started organising meetings of clergy he knew would leaders that Geyser had to be removed from his position. oppose apartheid. These meetings of clergy became known A charge of heresy could accomplish this. as the Ekumeniese Studiekring. It eventually evolved into the Christelike Instituut, of which Dr. Beyers Naude was the Geyser’s opposition to apartheid had much to do with his director and Geyser the chairman of the Board. Members of teaching stints at the Sorbonne (1949) and University of the Studiekring produced several documents, newspaper Utrecht (1952), contact with the international ecumenical articles and publications in which they criticised the policy of movement and interaction with leading European theologians apartheid (see Dreyer 2015:188–191). Geyser and 10 other such as Karl Barth, Oscar Cullmann and Hendrikus Berkhof. theologians also published a booklet (Geyser & Keet (ed.) His opposition to apartheid also stems from the fact that he 1960) with the title Vertraagde Aksie, translated as Delayed was a firm supporter of the South African Party of Genl. J.C. Action. In this compilation of theological essays, direct or Smuts (see footnote in Van Aarde et al. 2014:4–5). Smuts was indirect criticism was directed against the government well-known for his philosophy of ‘Holism’. As a supporter of and church policies of segregation. The 11 authors who the SAP and opposed to the National Party of D.F. Malan’s contributed to the publication were A.S.
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